Can opener



R. E. KREGER Feb. 21, 1956 CAN OPENER Filed April 22, 1955 INVENTOR.

RAMP/,f f. xk-Gf@ United States Patent O CAN OPENER Ralph E. Kreger, Detroit, Mich., assigner to Detroit Stamping Company, Detroit, Mich., a corporation et' Michigan Appncaaon April 22, 195s, serial No. 5133,10?

6 Claims. (ci. stlnn This invention relates to a can opener and more particularly to an opener of the type adapted to pierce under controlled pressure a condensed milk type of can having no lip for opener engagement at the top edge of the can.

The present opener employs the bottom of the can as a reaction element for anchoring the opener and is priJ marily characterized by a pair of pivoted handle and reaction elements, each terminating at one end in a piercing prong and at the other end in a flange for engaging the bottom of a can, the handle and reaction elements being of diierent length and adapted to be reversed for cans of different sizes.

Accordingly, one object of the present can opener is to provide diierent length reversible pivotally connected handle and reaction elements, each element being adapted for use as either handle or reaction element depending on the can size.

Another object is to provide a piercing prong at the pivoted end of each of such elements so that whichever element is employed as a handle may have an opening prong at its end.

Another object is to face such prongs in overlapping protecting relationship when the handle and reaction elements are together as when not in use in a drawer.

Another object is to provide resilient means for normally holding the handle and reaction elements together when the opener is not in use.

Another object is to provide a construction for each element of such opener capable of economical fabrication as a simple stamping from flat strip stock.

These and other objects will be more apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodi ment of my invention wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the opener in normal in operative position.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the opener illustrating its adaptation to different can sizes.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 4 4 of Fig. 3.

Referring to Fig. 1, it will be seen that the opener includes a relatively long element and a relatively short element 11 pivotally connected by a headed connecting pin 12. Each of the elements 10 and 11 is provided with a curved sharpened prong 10a, 11a formed at opposite sides of the pivoted ends. The base 10b, 11b of each prong is slightly less than one-half the width of each element 10 and 11 extending from one edge to a point near the center while a pivotal bearing 10c, 11e is provided for the pin 12 by coiling the other side of each end of the respective elements 10 and 11 as best shown in Fig. 3, the base of the prongs 10b, 11b being offset to provide clearance for the bearing portion of the opposing element. A flange 10d and 11d is provided at the other end of each of the elements for engaging the lower end of a relatively large can 13 or small can 14, respectively, as shown in ICC Fig. 2, the other element being employed as a handle in either case to actuate the opening prong associatedv therewith as shown by the dotted line position 11e in Fig. 2.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2 when the elements 10 and 11 are together, the ends of the prongs ltf and 11jc overlap each other serving to provide protection against accidental injury to or by such points when the opener is not in use, for example, while lying in a drawer. While the two elements 10 and 11 will normally come to rest in a position together as shown in Fig. 2 when dropped or placed in a drawer, a spring 15 may be provided to give further assurance of such position when the opener is not in use, the respective ends 15a and 15b of such spring projecting behind the respective bases 10b, 11b.

it will be apparent from the above description that in operation, for examplev in opening a relatively large can 13, the ange 10d is placed under the can while the handle element 11 is moved upwardly to a position shown at 11e whereupon the point 11]c will pierce the top of the can and open a wedge-shaped aperture therein for pouring out the liquid contents. The prying leverage provided by the reaction element 10 and pivotal connection 12 permits a controlled gradual opening movement and avoids any tendency for the liquid contents to spurt out as in the case of sudden puncturing with an ice pick or the like.

Since substantially all condensed milk cans, for which the present opener was primarily developed, have no lip for engagement and since condensed milk is commonly distributed in two can sizes only, the present opener provides a convenient, safe, low-cost answer to the long-existing problem of satisfactory opening means for this type of can.

While the preferred embodiment has been shown and described in detail above, it will be understood that numerous modifications might be resorted to without departing from the scope of my invention as defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A can opener characterized by relatively long and short pivotally connecting elements, each element being provided with an opening prong at one end and a flange at the other end whereby either of said elements may he employed as a reaction element anchored by its llange to the lower end of a can while the other is employed as an opening element to pierce the top of the can.

2. An opener in accordance with claim l wherein said prongs in the assembled opener are curved to face and overlap each other when the anged portions of the opener are together.

3. A can opener in accordance with claim 2. including spring means for normally maintaining said position when the opener is not in use.

4. A can opener in accordance with claim 1 wherein each of said elements is formed from at strip metal stock, one end of said strip stock being cut longitudinally substantially in the center, one-half of said end being con toured and formed as an opening prong while the other half is coiled to provide a pivotal bearing.

5. A can opener in accordance with claim 4 wherein the prong ends of the respective elements are assembled in opposed relationship with the bearing portions aligned, a pivot pin passing therethrough, said prong portions being adapted to pass each other in overlapping relationship during actuation of said opener.

6. A can opener in accordance with claim 5 wherein the points of the respective prongs are in adjacent over lapping relationship when said elements are in their normal inoperative position.

No references cited. 

